Means for closing receptacles



Sept. 22, 1936. L, WINTON 2,054,845 I MEANS FOR CLOSING RECEPTACLES Original Filed Oct. 50, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I i 125 1/7, E i:

16a l 1 m o 52 INVENTOR' LB. Wilda/ 4 BY 1m 4 {flu fl [1P ATTORNE Sept. 22, 1936. v WENTON 2,054,845 I MEANS-FOR CLOSYING RECEPT'ACLES I Original Filed Oct. so, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [Z9 v 42 1/; 12 E 1" IQ I INVENTOR.

LB. Win f0 ATTORNEY,

Patented Sept. 22, 1936 PATENT OF'FllCEi v r 2,054,845- v MEANS FOR CLOSINGREGEPTAGLES Lewis B: WintomnGreenwichpConm; assignor: to

American: SealconewCorporation, New York; N. Y., a corporation of New .--Y ork Original application-October 30, 1931, Serial N 0. 571365 Divided-and this application Deccm ber l, 1933n.Serial@No.- 700,420

3 cams.v (01. 2261-56) This inventloniirelat'es to -apparatus for filling andtclosing i receptaclesgandiwhile it i is adapted i forxthe filling iand sealinguo'f various' materials into receptacles, it. is adapted for the packaging of :e'dible commodities as fruit J Juices :and-particularlyfthejuiceiof citrus fruits; such-as orange Juice. A t 7 well known in'the squeezing of-juice from oranges; iairnis entrained-and mixed; with the juice, and that orange: juice in the presence of airxwill. quickly deteriorate and spoil To over-- cometxthe contamination oftheorange juice by 1 contactwith air theorange juice is =tr'e'ated to free it of Q entrained air and; it isstored in 'said condition out "of eontact withairi.

The presentr invention is for- 1 an improved method of and means to close and displaceair' by: aminert-gas above thecontents in a receptacle beforeirclosingtthe same' ltO be' I used in connection 2 withuapparatuszsfor filling material into recep ta'cleswwhile maintaining gthe material out of contactuawith air eands prevent the entrainment-- and mixingeofsairiwith ithe material -iduring the fillingxthereofsintot'a receptaclegthe subject-mat item-of thenpresent application being divided-out from amye? coependingv:application Serial N02 571,965,lifiledaoctober fio; 1931} 1 5 .Theieinvention is:particularlyadapted :ior -the' fillingzand closing; :of: ireceptaicles as disclosed :in 30riLettersxPatentxNo;i1;699;549}i1issued:-January 1929;ewh'erein1 that open end:ofetheureceptacle is closed: aftem-thematerialt: is .filled intou-the recep tacle by squeezing togethe'r th'e' opposite walliportions at thempen- .end': and sealed:iin-iclosed con 35J diti'on by. .engagingwa .tV-shaped: closure: member over land iclampingl the same -to :the closed receptacler endgstheuclosingtiofi the receptacIeQand-ap I plyingz .ofothe i wclosurez memben thereto 'sbeing 1 ef fected; by (means :asaxdisclosedpfor :instansa' i A LettersuiPate-nti z No. .Tl,'8 137.01, A issued 1 :August 6,"?- 1932i Theliq'uantityuofrmaterialz filled into'l -th'e receptacle -11 less than the capacity of- 1 the: =recept'acle" with the' result 1 that the' receptacle -is not" entirelyfilled so *that when the receptacle "is clo'sed there aspace'above-the"material-f filledrwithhir, which air; if retained" inith'e'rer ceptacle in the packaging ofyedible commodities" and particularly the .juice .of citrusifruitsliwill containinate and; efifectl a deterioration and;-

spoiling. o fmthe .commodit'y in-ithe receptacle.

lftvisanl objectoii the present invention IISO DIO-r vides at theclosingsmeans :in; apparatus =-for ingnand closing 1 'receptacleszmeanswzconnectedzt 55 with i fill inert; gas;- supply tovinj ect and; displace; r:

the air abovethe '-contents 'of-the'- receptacle -wi-th such gas prior to*closingethe receptacle.

Inqthe idrawin'gs accompanying andforming; a par-t oi this applicationrFigure-l is-a front'-ele---- vation of receptacle" collapsingmeans to close 5 .7 the same and closure member applying- =means,-

only so much being shown 'as is essential to arr understanding of the inventionand -having com bined threwithmeans connected with-" an iner-t' 1 gas supply for in j ecting tmd-miisplac-in'g air above 10 we contents of the receptacle with said -gas prior to; closing a receptacle. V

Figure. 2 is a front elevation,-=' on--anenlarged scale} of the receptacle collapsinigmeans- -andshowin'g'-.in *section the-connection of -the inert -15 gas supply there-tow i Figures? is a detail- View; partly in section toshowethe mannerof ejecting the inert-gas into and displacing. the air bythe gasin the space-=- above th co-ntents 'of a receptacle; H.-

Fi'gure' 4 is -aviewsimilar to Fig'ure -3, bult l showing the receptaclebafter' it has been" closed and sealed.

Figure 5 is v a view taken' substantially 'on the line '5-'5 of Figure 4 looking in the direction of 1 the-arrows.- V v Figure: 6 is a sectional viewy Oman-enlargedscale, taken substantially 'on -the-line fi ii (at-Figure -1 looking in -the'direction of the arrows;- and showing the means to control the connection of' igo the inert gas supply with'the means to displace the air -by said gas 'abovethe contents of a re'ceptacl'e and showing the same open to "the gas supply?" Figure '7 is a View similar to Figu-refi, butsho'w in'g th'e' partsin position to-shiit off -the gas sup- -35 plyi Figures is a vertical sectional view taken"sub-'- stantially centra'lly through'Fi gur-eGL In the embodiment ofthe invention illustrated;- tha -operative mechanism'Toi' marrying-out the- 40 invention-As mountedupona table supported by standards as S} and 1 driven from" a suitable source of power'-(not shown connected with' a drive shaft 325 The fillr means- (not shown) is arranged at the left hand end of the table and the receptacles -are= transferred from the filler means ontoreceptacle supports in the fo'i'mvofplates 90 'of*nintermit tently operative conveyer C betweena pair- 0f-'-- resilient fingers I U extended up -from said sup-= porting. plates :1 and transported by -th'e conveyer J to the 1receptacleicollapsing :and. closure member v applying aneansi -iFigures :1 and 2)- -comprisin'g -a 1 pairzof slides Hlslidablymountted to-have move= H ment :towardnand. away- :from each other-- ina portion I I5, overhanging and in spaced relation to the conveyer, of a head H6 mounted on the table T and a pair of slides II1 slidably carriedby and below the first slides to participate in the movement thereof and have independent movement relative to the first slides, the second slides being normally urged to engage heads I I1 carried thereby forward of the first slides with a receptacle. The slides II4 pivotally carry blocks slidably engaging in recesses, as at I I8, in lever arms II 9 pivotally supported at I20 in upwardly and laterally projecting extensions I I6 of the head I I6, and said lever arms being rocked by rollers carried by studs I2I fixed in and extended laterally from lever arms I22 integral or connected with the arms H9, said rollers engaging cam grooves I23 in drums I24 fixed to the shaft 32, whereby the levers I I9, I22 are oscillated andithe, connected slides I I4 reciprocated toward and away from each other. The slides are normally in spaced position as shown in Figure 2, and means are provided to lift a receptacle from a receptacle support of the conveyer and position the open end thereof between the slides I I4, I I1 for action thereon by said slides, said means comprising a plunger I08 mounted in a bracket I09 fixed to the side of table T to have vertical sliding movement and reciprocated in timed sequence with the movement of the conveyer and actuation of the slides H4, H1 by an arm IIU fixed to a shaft III rotatably mounted in downwardly extendedarms of the bracket and rocked by an arm II2 carrying a roller following a cam groove in a disk I I3 fixed to a shaft 14a rotated from shaft 32 through a train of gears 13, the plunger at the upper end carrying a pair of spaced plates 3' to move through openings in the receptacle supporting plates 96 of the conveyer and arranged to engage and lift a receptacle from the conveyer and position the same between the slides, as shown in Figure 3, when the slides are actuated, the head 1' of slides II1 engaging with and collapsing the receptacle and when collapsed a closure member of V-shape in cross section is guided by a guide I25, (Figure 2), conforming to the shape of the closure member, over the collapsed receptacle end when the slides I I4 are brought into engagement with the closure member to clamp and seal the closure member to the collapsed receptacle end, as shown at I26 in Figure 4.

As shown in Figure 3 the receptacles are not filled to capacity with the result that when the receptacle is closed there is an air space above the contents in the receptacle, as shown in Figure 4. In the packaging of orange juice the air in said space will contaminate and cause the orange juice to spoil. To overcome this disadvantage prior to closing the. receptacle, the air above the contents in the receptacle is displaced by and-the space filled with an inert gas, such as carbondioxide or nitrogen, so that when the receptacle is closed any space not displaced by the juice is filled with the inert gas. For this purpose means in the form of a jet or nozzle connected with a source of inert gas supply under pressure is arranged between the slides II4, II1. This jet or nozzle comprises a perforation or port I21 extended through the overhanging portion II5 of the head I I6 adjacent the forward end of a slide I I4 and inclines in a direction toward the opposite slide I I4 so as to direct the gas stream from said jet into the top of a receptacle adjacent one side and directing it toward the opposite side of the receptacle. The port I21 is connected in the present instance with a gasometer 44 containing the gas by a pipe I28 connected with a nipple I29 threaded into the port I21, in the present instance through an elbow and a short pipe length, as shown in Figure 5, although said pipe I28 may be connected directly with the nipple. The pipe I28 is connected with a pipe 41 leading to the bell 44 and from a source of gas supply, said pipe having a valve 48 interposed therein to shut off the same when the nozzle is connected with the gasometer. The pipe I28 is connected with an outlet port from a chamber in a valve casing I33 connected withthegasometer by a pipe I28 connected with the pipe 41 and an inlet port to the chamber in the valve casing I30 in axial alinement-with the outlet port to which the pipe I28 is connected. The connection of the jet or nozzle 7 I21 is controlled by a valve in the valve casing to shut off and open communication between the inlet and outlet ports of the valve casing, said valve being in the form of a block I3I slidable in the chamber of the valve casing and having a port I3 I.

therethrough adapted to be placed into and out of register with the inlet and outlet ports of the valve casing, said valve being normally urged to positionthe port therein out of register with the ports in the valve, casing and cause a roller I32 rotatably carried by a bifurcated portion of the valve extended from the bottom of the valve casing to engage and follow a cam I33, fixed on the shaft 32, by a' spring I34 coiled about a stem I35 extended through the end wall of a portion extended upward from the valve casing and in which the, spring is enclosed. The cam I33 is arranged to actuate the valve against the tension of spring I34 to open the jet or nozzle I21 in timed sequence with the actuation of the receptacle collapsing slides II'l.

The closure member for the receptacle has a V portion extended from opposite ends beyond the opposite sides of the receptacle and adapted to be folded about the ends of the closure member by means relative to which a receptacle is stationed by the conveyer and lifted from the conveyer to present it to said means by a plunger-similar in construction and operation to the plunger I08,

but as said mechanism does not constitute an essential feature of the present invention, illustration and descriptionthereof is not deemed necessary. While I have illustrated and described one embodiment of my invention itwill be obvious that various modifications may be made in construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1.,In means to close the filler opening of receptacles, means between which the open end of the receptacle is adapted to be engaged operative to squeeze together the opposite wall portions at the receptacle opening, .a nozzle having a valve controlled connection with an inert gas supply arranged to direct the stream therefrom into the opening of the receptacle positioned relative to the closing means, and means to actuate the receptacle closing means and in timed sequence therewith actuate the nozzle valve to deliver inert gas into and displace air above the contents of the receptacle. 7

2. In receptacle closing apparatus, means to squeeze together the opposite wall portions at the filler opening of the receptacle to close the same, and seal a closure member on the closed receptacle end, an inert gas supply, a nozzle arranged at the closing means having a connection with the gas supply, a valve to shut 01f and connect the nozzle with the gas supply, and means to actuate the nozzle valve to control the connection of the gas supply with the nozzle adapted to actuate said valve to open the nozzle to the inert gas supply just prior to the actuation of the closing means to completely close the receptacle opening to deliver inert gas to and displace thereby the air above the contents in the receptacle and shut off the gas supply from the nozzle when the receptacle opening is closed, and a part of the receptacle closing means then being operative to clamp and liquid seal a closure member to the closed receptacle end applied thereto.

3. In apparatus of the class specified, means relative to which the open end of a receptacle is adapted to be positioned to squeeze together the opposite wall portions at the mouth to close the same, an inert gas supply under pressure, a

nozzle connected with the gas supply arranged above the receptacle closing means and the open end of a receptacle positioned relative thereto,

and a valve to control the connection of the nozzle with the gas supply, and means'to actuate the valve in timed sequence with the actuation of the receptacle closing means to open the nozzle 

